Toy and ball casing



Sept. 17, 1946. E. c. BAILLIERE TOYAND BALL CASING Filed Jan. 10, 1942 QQDDDO 4 Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY AND BALL CASING Edna C. Bailliere, Warren, Ohio Application January 10, 1942, Serial No. 426,265

The invention relatesto a casing for a ball, a toy animal or bird, and in fact a casing of any desired form or figure. Particularly the casing is formed from a pair of flat pieces of flexible material such as rubber which are secured together preferably at or adjacent their outer edges. The flat pieces in the preferred construction have holes going therethrough which increase lateral flexibility or distendability of the casing. An inflatable bladder is inserted within the casing which distends the casing and the casing supports the bladder. The invention also relates to the combination of the novel casing and inflatable bladder.

An object of the invention is to construct a wholly flat casing; which is to receive an inflatable bladder, formed from flat members of flexibIe material stitched or otherwise secured together at or adjacent the outer edges thereof; and having means which preferably are holes through the casing to inc'reasethetendability thereon.

lateral dis;

Claims. (Cl. 273-58) Another object of the invention is to con struct a ball casing of a'pair'of flat members or f blanks of flexible material having holes provided therethrough to increase lateral flexibility or distendability thereof and so disposed that a substantially spherical ball results when a bladder is inflated therein.

A still further object is to construct an inflatable figure utilizing a wholly flat casing but which has a substantial lateral distendability.

Another objector the invention is to construct an inflatable ball from a casing formed of a pair of flat disks of rubber or the like which are stitched or otherwise secured together at their outer periphery and having holes so positioned that the ball assumes a substantially spherical form when the bladder is inflated therein. Another, object is to form a casing having substantial lateral distendability which is inexpensive, easily made and attractive Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in A connection with the accompanying. drawing in which Figure 1 is a partial view. or a casing having holes therein of one form of pattern or design."

Figure 2 is a partial view of another casing having holes therethrough such that a substan-. tially spherical ball is formed when'a bladder is 1* inflated therein.

Figure 3 is a side view of the casings of ures 1 and 2.

ure 2 with an inflated bladder therein.

Figure 5 is a partial section of an inflated ball with the casing turned inside out so that the ridge is inside of the casing.

Inflatable balls of spherical shape have been made by forming a casing of many pieces which are stitched together such that the normal or relaxed shape of the casing is spherical. The cutting of many pieces and the cementing or stitching of these many pieces together involves considerable labor and expense. Figures of other shapes or forms have been similarly made. The casing of the invention 0n the other hand is formed of flat pieces of flexible material such as rubber which are sewed or otherwise secured together and in the case of most balls and figures the flat members or blanks are secured together at or adjacent their outer edges. If the shape desired is that of a ball a pair of circular disks are formed which may then be stitched together at their periphery and preferably holes are punched through the disks which increase the lateral distendability of the. casing so that a'ball is formed when a bladder is inflated therein. It is clear that the casing may take the form of birds, animals, or any other desired shape.

The casing illustrated in Figure 1 is formed by cutting a. pair of circular disks in of flexible.

center thereof. The holes l3 being smaller than i the holes l2, the holes I4 being still smaller, and the holes l5 adjacent the center, may be the smallest. With the pattern of holes disclosed in Figure 1, a ball is formed when a bladder is inflated therein which is slightly flat at the ends. A central hole l6 may be provided in one of the disks for access to the valve of the bladder to be insertedbetween the two disks. The hole I6 or any other hole may be used for this purpose or an opening between the disks through the stitching may be provided. r v

In Figure 2,;the disks 20 are like the disks I0 which are also shown. to be sewed together by stitching 2| at th periphery thereof. The pattern of holes in the casing of Figure 2 is different.

than that shown in Figure 1. The holes 22, 23 and 24 are provided to increase the lateral dis- 7 the resultant. form is sphericalir .very. nearly so.

The holes extending through the "flat" blanks or members remove material which otherwise would resist lateral distendability when a blad der is inflated therein or to express it in another way the holes leave portions of the casing which resist expansion in the casing wherever and to Whatever extent such resistanceis desired. It

is not necessary to have holes throughthe blanks in order to decrease resistance to lateral distendability or bring about an increase in lateral distendability and other means-or provisionfunctioning in the same-manner toreduce resistance and thereby to increase 'lateraldistendability is contemplated. The pair of flat-members; or at least one thereof, has recesses which leave-portions of themember with greater distendability than other portions 'which recesses 'inflthc form illustrated are holes extending through the member.

. The area of greater strain upon the disks-when a bladder 30 is inflated therein comes at, or ad. jacent, the circle midway between the outer periphery-and the center ofthe disks. At this point the disks should have sufiicient strength or resistance byv providing ample material between the holes l3 and between th holes M as inthe casing of Figure 1 and between the holes 24 in 1 the "casing of Figure 2. 1 Where it is not desired to'p'roduce a ball which is spherical or substantially so, any design or pattern of holes may be utilized. By using a bladder of a different color from that of the casing, an attractive ball or' other figure is produced. ;'Ihe circularholes in the: casing stretch into many different shapes depending upon the spacing between holes and 1 the general pattern; The casing of a toy or: ball of the invention "may utilize a bladder of relatively heavy wall thickness". A novel effect however, mayibe produced-'by'using a bladder which is relativelythin and' the holes relatively large such as the holes :I2 and It. When the bladder-30' is, inflated in the casing, the bladderibulges outwardly in the holes as illustrated 'in Figure 4. Other novel effects canbe produced by using bladders having portion projecting through the holes which portions also inflate uponblowing up ofv the bladder.' For'exampleifa casing: of an. animal form is used, four legs upon a bladder may be projected through holes which inflate to form legs which support the figure. V I

I A widevariety of bladders may be utilized with the casing. The bladder may have a'valve of any simple kind for retaining the air therewithin. The bladder'may also be a common inexpensive balloon having a cylindrical neck for inflating the same. Where this style of bladder is used, the neck maybe projectedythrough, the center hole such as the hole '18 in Figure l;or 21 in Figure 2. When the bladder is inflated the end of the neck may be tucked through another hole between the casing and bladder to retain the air in the bladder a fislight groove.

Ordinary heavy sewing thread maybe used to secure or stitch the pair of flat flexible casing blanks together at their outer edge. Such stitching is loose enough and when coupled with the flexible material of the casing permits some increase in the diameter or size of the inflated ball or figure over the diameter of the disks or blanks. If desired th casing may be turned inside out we the outside in e s upon the; I zftheiball or figure and the outer surface is smooth or carries Preferably a uniform or symdistribution of the holes or means to metrical decreasethe resistance to lateral distendability of the flat members results in a more attractive --b all"'or'toy'."- i Thi invention-provides an improvement in a toy and ball casing. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especiallyi after, benefltting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates-the, preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.-

What is claimed is:

, 1. A casing adapted to: receive andnflatable bladder comprising a pair pf flat members. of elastic material which form ;a complete casing having the form ofa;toy or ballymeans securing the fiat members together, and at least one of the flat-,members'having' recesses therein thereby providing portions which resist expansion to a greater extent than other portions thereof .to control the, lateralidistendability oi the casing. 2. A casing adapted try-receive. aninflatable bladder. comprising a pair of flat members of flexible material and having a desiredform, means securing the flat members...together at their outer edges, and the flat members having 7 holes. therein-of adesired patternr to increase the lateral distendability of th ecasing. V

- 3. Aball casing'adaptedto receive-an-inflatable bladder comprising a pair Q .circularflat members of flexible material,meanssecuringthe flat members together at-theirperiphery, and the flat ;members having uniformly distributed holes therein toincreasecthe lateral distendability of theflat members. i 4.. A ball casing adapted tc receiv an inflat able bladder comprising a-j pair .of f circular flat members of ,-'flexible ma terial, means securing ,the circular flat memberstogether at their periphery, the circular flat membershaving uniforinly distributed holes therein-to increase the lateral distendability of the flat members, and

the material being substantially reduced between holesadjacent to and within a circle. having. approximately .half the diameter of the flat members. 5.,A ball casing adapted to receive an inflatable bladder comprising a'pair of circular flat members off lexible material, means securing the flat members together at their; periphery, andythe flat members having circularly disposed widely spaced holes therethrough in the "oute'r half of the flat members and losely spaced holesia'djacent to and within a circle having approximately half. the diameterfaofrthe flat members to;'in'-. 'crease the lateral distendability of .the casing andform. a substantially spherical ball when a", .bladder ls inflated ithirrthe-casingy; 1 3

EDNA C BAILLIERE, 

